1997 AFL season
| 1997 AFL premiership season | |
|---|---|
| Teams | 16 |
| Premiers |
Adelaide (1st premiership) |
| Minor premiers |
St Kilda (2nd minor premiership) |
| Pre-season cup |
Carlton (1st pre-season cup win) |
| Matches played | 185 |
| Attendance | 6,402,997 (34,611 per match) |
| Highest attendance | 99,645 (Grand Final, St Kilda v Adelaide) |
| Leading goalkicker | Tony Modra (Adelaide) |
| Brownlow Medallist | Robert Harvey (St Kilda) |
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← 1996
1998 →
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The 1997 Australian Football League season was the 101st season of the elite Australian rules football competition.
This season is notable for the admission of the Port Adelaide Football Club, and the merger of the Brisbane Bears and Fitzroy to form the Brisbane Lions. Before the start of the 1997 season, Footscray changed its name to the Western Bulldogs Football Club.
1997 is also notable for being one of the most evenly contested seasons in the AFL's recent history. With five rounds remaining, only three wins separated first placed Geelong (11 wins) and 13th placed Hawthorn (8 wins). St Kilda won the Minor Premiership with 15 wins and 7 losses; however, the competition was won by Adelaide who had come fourth after the minor round with 13 wins and 9 losses. This was the first instance of a side winning four consecutive finals matches to claim the Premiership. The Western Bulldogs would also accomplish this feat in 2016.
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